Travel Route from Sweden

It appears that many of the Swedish colonists arrived via the port of St. John at the mouth of the St. John River and then traveled by boat upriver to Perth-Andover, New Brunswick. They would have traveled overland to Maine crossing the border at Fort Fairfield before proceeding on to New Sweden.

Some immigrants did come through other ports such as New York and some did venture north from other parts of the U.S.

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For an example of how a group in 1871 traveled, see the notes for K. A. Olivenbaum at:

First Settlers of the Maine Swedish Colony

In 1871 eleven families (50 people) from Undersaker, Sweden immigrated together as follows:

by team to Ostersund, Sweden;

by rail to Stockholm, Sweden;

by boat to Gotenborg, Sweden via Gota Canal;

over North Sea to Leith, Scotland;

by rail to Edinburgh to Glasgow, Scotland;

by steamer Arcadia 18 days to Halifax, Nova Scotia;

to St. John, New Brunswick by smaller steamer;

up St. John River to Fredericton, New Brunswick;

by side-wheeler steam boat to Woodstock, New Brunswick;

by tow boat pulled by horses to Tobique Landing, New Brunswick;

by team to Fort Fairfield, Maine;

by horse and wagon to Caribou, Maine and finally New Sweden, Maine.

(Described in “The Olivenbaum Family 1828-1942” in three parts by Edward Olivenbaum, Clermont, Florida 1983)

This steamship is similar to those that brought hundreds of immigrants to New Brunswick in the late 19th century.

For a description of how the first settlers to New Sweden, Maine traveled see:

Maine’s Historic Swedish Colony

The first group of fifty-one Swedish settlers sailed from Sweden on June 25, 1870 to Hull, England; then by rail to Liverpool, England; then sailed to Halifax, Nova Scotia arriving on July 13. They ascended the St. John River by steamer to Fredericton, New Brunswick where they transferred to horse-drawn tow-boats to Tobique Landing (now Perth-Andover). They then traveled by wagon train to a welcoming luncheon in Fort Fairfield, and on to Caribou for a bountiful supper and overnight in Arnold’s Hall. The wagon train continued on July 23 along a newly cut woods road, arriving at noon at their new home, which Thomas named New Sweden.

Steamer David Weston on the St. John River

For a description of how the first settlers of New Denmark traveled see:

The first group of twenty-seven Danish settlers boarded a steamship in Copenhagen, Denmark to go to Liverpool, England; ship to St. John, New Brunswick; up the St. John River to Fredericton, New Brunswick; steamer to their final destination where they established New Denmark, New Brunswick.

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One Response to “Travel Route from Sweden”

Donig a family tree on Nordstroms here in Saint John , NB, Canada.
My Great Grandfather Niels Frederick Nordstrom born , 1872 in Sweden unknown exact location. On marriage certificate place of origin Helsinger, Denmark. Arived in New Brunswick near Chatham, NB approx.1884-1890. Married in 1896 to a Jane Bernard from Bay Du Vin, NB and moved to Saint John , NB approx. 1898- 1900. My belief is he was headed for New Denmark or New Sweden in Maine but never made it that far. He worked in Saint john as a labourer in Ship building and packing fish at a company called at the time McCormacks and Zachman. Any ideas how I may find out what boat he was on . I know that he never applied for Canadian citizenship because of the fear of not getting back into the counrty during war time. Hard to distinguish germans from Danes I guess at the time.